A blog about library privatisation, and other related matters, in the UK, US and beyond.

Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Public Libraries and PFI

Tomorrow in his Autumn Statement the Chancellor will be announcing plans to make PFI more 'public', 'Private Finance 2 (PF2)' as it will be called will involve the public sector taking stakes of up to 49% in individual private finance projects and appointing a director to the boards of each project.
This is to ensure that the taxpayer gets a share of any profits from the deal or this is what we are being told?
This has all come about due to Government concerns over failed PFI projects, long term liability to the public purse and the huge profits being made by the private companies involved.

although on the face of it this might seem like a good news story is it really a sustainable and cost effective way of providing new libraries and are they being built at the expense of the local branch network?